Automotive vehicle license tag



Jan. l1, 1944. E. J. slGLER r 4 2,338,824

AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE LICENSE TAG' Filed Nov. 5. 1941 /ll c N; o' H@ Patented Jan.' 11, 1944 UNITED STATE sl PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE LICENSE TAG Erasmus J; Sigler, Delmar, N. Y., assigner of ten per cent to Arthur J. Belllnger, St Johnsville,

Application November 3, 1941, serial No. 417,699

1 claim. (ol. 40-125) ized by payment of an annual registration'fee.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 isa face view of a license, tag in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an'enlarged sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the invention;

Figure 4 is a .face view of a modified form; Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

The digit 20 is preferably raised from the plane of the plate I8. In raising the license duplication 24 to have interiittlng engagement with the license duplication 26, the digit plate I8 will register only when used on the original plate for which it is issued. `In other words, a digit plate I8 will lie flush with the license tag I0 only when it carries the miniature license number -of the .plate for which it is issued. This feature pro.

vides a mismatched appearance when the wrong digit plate is employed so as to provide an unbalanced arrangement of the parts unless the proper digit plate is employedon the original license tag.

Figure 6 is alfragmentary View of the structure of Figures land 5.

In the embodiment selected for illustration, I make use of a license tag I0 of conventional size and construction. The usual license number I2 occupies the greater area of the tag. State identifying indicia I4 are also provided. 'I'he year for which the tag is authorized is indicated at' I6, which indicia are preferably formed by embossing the material of the plate, as by stamping, throughout the outlines of the respective'digits.

In accordance with my invention, one tag will serve for a period of ten years running from zero through nine through replacement of a digit plate I8. Plate I8 has an area slightly larger than the digit 28 and the plate III is depressed at 22' vfor the reception of the digit plate to bring the latter flush with the front face of the license tag. The

'license number I2 is duplicated in miniature at 24, which duplication is preferably struck from the tag I0 so. as to project beyond th front face o'f the tagg Digit plate I8 is also provided with a duplication of the license number I2 in miniature, as at 26, which duplication is stamped in\ the digit plate, so as to have intertting engagement with the distortions therein representing.

the duplication 24 in the tag 20. VThus the digit plate I8 will lie face to face with the depressed area 22 in the tag III. t

A digit plate I8 is issued each year, which plate is provided with the successive last digits in the respective years for which theV digit plates are issued. Since each digit plate I8 is provided with a duplicate license number, the 'digit plates may be used yonly on the loriginal plates for which they are issued. This prevents the digit plates from being appropriated for use on license tags other than those for wh1ch they are issued.

Digit plate I8 is provided with a plurality of right angular ears 28-passing snugly through slots 30 in the license tag I0.' Each ear is partially severed, crosswise, as, at 32, to provide shoulders engaging the back face of the license tag when the ears are given a slight twist. An irregularlyshaped rib 34 is stamped in the license tag I 0, and the digit plate I8 is also providedrwith a similarly shaped distortion 36 having interltting engagement with the rib 34. Rib 34 also functions to improperly position the digit plate I8 onv the license tag Ill-unless thel digit plate and the tag are provided'with intertting distortions. Thus the digit plate is rendered more difficult to dupli cate.

vided with perforations 4I! constituting outlines of the elements of the license number of the tag. The tag 42 has its miniature license number stamped therein, as at V44. The deformations 44 lit snugly in the perforations 40 to bring the digit plate 38 into face to face engagement with the depressed area 46 of the original license tag when the' digit plate carries the license number 'in miniature corresponding tor the number of the license tag for which it is issued. Digit plate, is secured to the tag 42 by ears 48 corresponding to the ears 28.

Slots 50 are provided in the digit plate 38 for the reception of correspondingly shaped ribs 52 stamped in the tag 42, which ribs correspondto the rib`34. Thus the digit plate 88 will seat properIyprdy when itis perforated in accordance with the miniature license number distortions 44 and when provided with slots .50 which accommodate the ribs 52 stamped in the tag 42 at the time of manufacture.

The presentjinvention provides alicense plate which may be employed for a period of years through mere 'substitution of a digit plate. The digit plate is relatively small in size so as to procure a large saving in material as well as costs incident to the manufacture of original tags for short term use.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will' so fully illustrate'my invention, that others may, l

by applying current knowledge, readily adapted the same for use under various conditions of tion characters, means detachably connecting the digit plate with said license tag, said vehicle identification characters in miniature being struck from said digit plate, and a miniature duplication of said vehicle identification characters struck from said license tag for intertting engagement with the vehicle identification characters in the digit plate to bring the digit plate into predetermined positional relationship with the license 10 tag only when the vehicle identification characters in miniature in the respective license tag and the digit plate are identical.

ERASMUS J. SIGLE'R. 

